Veteran economist Mohamed El-Erian has a bone to pick with how America is doing AI. In his view, the country's rapid push has failed to address safety and public concerns, and policymakers should "find common ground" rather than halt development.

In a post on X on Thursday, El-Erian laid out the tension neatly: "America's 'let it rip' approach to AI aligns with the technology's productivity potential and national security imperatives. However, it has fallen short not only on safety and diffusion, but also on bringing society along. The resulting backlash evident in the midterms was fueled by genuine concerns, information failures, and behavioral science dynamics. Yet the alternative is not to slam on the brakes—it is to find common ground between these two extremes."

Midterm Results Put Data Centers In Focus

The debate intensified Wednesday, as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) used Democratic midterm victories to renew his call for a national moratorium on AI data centers. Sanders pointed to 43 of 44 communities that voted for local data-center moratoriums on Tuesday.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) also called for stronger restrictions on AI in an X post on Thursday, saying Democrats' first-day agenda should include a pause on advanced AI development, regulation of the industry and a ban on artificial superintelligence.

Technology analyst Dan Ives also said the election results could slow U.S. AI infrastructure development. He estimated that 10% of planned data centers would not proceed and could slow the pace of the planned 800 to 1,000 data centers across the country.

Bill Ackman Says US Cannot Afford To Slow AI Race

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman argued that the U.S. cannot afford to slow its AI development, describing the global race for superintelligence as an existential issue for the country. During a CNBC Squawk on the Street appearance on Tuesday Ackman said, "It's a global race for superintelligence. We don't want to get there second, right? That's existential to the United States."

Responding to concerns that opposition to data centers could become a political obstacle, Ackman said several states would welcome the jobs and economic activity associated with AI infrastructure. Comparing AI expansion with electricity adoption, he argued that slowing development was not practical. "It's like, you know, saying we want to slow down the pace of electricity penetration into America," he said. He added that calls to slow AI could help candidates win votes ahead of the midterms, but maintained that "we have to be primary in AI."